REPLY TO MATHABA NEWS NETWORK: Haiti disaster, natural or man made

REPLY TO MATHABA NEWS NETWORK:  Haiti disaster, natural or man made


THE JANUARY 28th ONLINE article posted by Lendman of Mathaba News Network , surprisingly takes the first step toward responsible journalism by Mathaba.   Mathaba News Network is one of the largest digital multi-platform news distribution services in the world.

In addition to being one of the largest information transmittal companies, Mathaba has achieved the distinction of disseminating stories that typically contain bizarre accusations which are written without credible sources.  Mathaba is a purported news distribution service, which is in fact an "off the wall" propaganda branch of a government that apparently presents itself through its articles, as being hostile to the US.


The recent article "Haiti`s Earthquake: Natural or Engineered?" which was written by one of MNN's creative writing staff, outlines the theoretical causes of manmade environmental disasters, like earthquakes.

The distinction this time, was that its author Lendman, did not make unsourced or bizarre accusations in the article.

There are no bizzare accusations that the US caused the earthquake.  Lendman implies however, that a SOUTHCOM officer was in Haiti and that this presence may evidence that the US was preparing for a potential environmental disaster from planned testing.

Unfortunately, the author in the typical Mathaba vein, fails to identify his source for saying that a SOUTHCOM official was present in Haiti or even proving the existence of that official.

Responsible journalism requires that Lendman publish the source of his infomation to prove, that SOUTHCOM PK Keen, was in Haiti for disaster simulation one day before the quake.  Minimally, Lendman should assert that reliable sources provided the information, but that those sources would remain confidential. 

Responsible journalism never happens with Mathaba.

Responsible reporting in this article is coincidently achieved by the writer's decision not to make an insane accusation, in the absence of any facts to support the accusation. 

Personally, I believe that Mr. Lendman's hypothesis of US advance knowledge of potential environmental disaster from ordnance experiments is shaky. 

The article demonstrates specious reasoning.

It is more logical, that if the US planned tectonic experimentation, then SOUTHCOM Keen and others would have been in Haiti a lot earlier than merely one day ahead of the hypothesised environmental disaster.

Also, sources need to be cited for the various US military experimental programs that Mr. Lendman describes.

If they are not attributed to a source, they lack credibility.

Like other responsible news services, MATHABA needs to file a FOI request with the US Navy to determine if any experimental testing was performed in proximity of Haiti on or around date of the tragic and catastrophic earthquake.

At this point, Mr. Lendman's article is merely an interesting outline of causes which theoretically may contribute to environmental disruption.

But, then again, even these theories are not attributed to any source.   Therefore, the theories  present themselves as some "pie in the sky" fantasy of Mathaba News Network's staff of creative writers.

It becomes exasperating at some point.

Would you waste your nickel if Mathaba were being hawked by some corner newspaper carrier kid? 

My nickel is better spent.

RAY OLIVER, ESQ.
(c)copyright 2010

HAITI DEMOGRAPHICS: Despair & Promise

HAITI DEMOGRAPHICS:  Despair & Promise

THE NATURAL DISASTER suffered by Haitians in the catastrophic earthquake on January 12, 2010 signals the future of Haiti as a developing country, now poised to emerge from poverty into a tourist and banking world player.

There is no doubt that the tragedy of a massive natural disaster has a socio-political, economic and religious impact on its impoverished victims.

However, along with the despair of death and her coat tails of casualties, comes a promise of institutional change through structural reorganization and the redistribution of wealth.

The CIA World Factbook http://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html presents a profile of despair in this Western Hemisphere's poorest country.  More than two percent of the adult Haitian population were infected with HIV-AIDS as of 2007.  Literacy rates were approximately 53 percent of the population for Haitians fifteen years and older.    Other statistics which profile Haiti's population are equally dismal.

But, natural disasters are causal factors for social change.

The hundreds of millions of dollars being spent by leading world countries in the short term rescue-stabilization campaign puts a new face on Haiti.

"Over the horizon" of the quake's debris field, lies a foreign investment wave which will wash in a new infrastructure for the country.

The opportunities for investment return are limitless.  New electrical grids along with sanitation systems and retail-office building construction projects is the promise of Haiti's future.

International banking is the necessary consequence of this financial wave.

And good infrastructure is the stimulus for world tourism.

The dynamics which will produce a new bright faced Haiti are not difficult to identify.  Simply, the future for Haitians in their country will bring them to a new level of opportunity and international respect for their recently acquired independence.

The single factor that presents difficulty in analyzing the future social composite of Haiti, will depend on her survivors.

Whether the surviving population will remain to enjoy their western tourism capital, will depend on whether those survivors represent the significantly high percentage which are afflicted with AIDS/HIV.


This difficult dynamic is also a cause of social change.  It is a fact which will determine whether Haiti recovers medically or will be burdened by a smaller population who are afflicted and are contributing to an ever increasing AIDS pandemic.

For Haiti, that future natural disaster is a different type.
 
(c)copyright r.oliver 2010